Lighting isn’t just about function—it’s about feeling and nothing can change the way a room feels like lighting. We all want rooms that feel warm, welcoming, and perfectly illuminated for the activities we love. But with so many options, it’s easy to feel frustrated by the complexity of lighting choices. Not to worry, Tom and the team will help you.
Whether you’re upgrading your home’s lighting or tackling a new build, recessed lighting offers a stylish and practical way to create just the right mood. But here’s the thing—choosing the right lighting is more than picking a fixture that looks nice. It’s about understanding your space and its needs. Too often, homeowners make the mistake of installing the wrong type of lighting, leading to dim, unwelcoming rooms or even blinding glare that creates discomfort. With recessed lighting, it's all about getting the details right. The good news is that Bravo AV is here to guide you step by step to avoid those common pitfalls.
*Note: Recessed lights are also sometimes referred to as recessed downlights; down lights, can lights or high hats.
Table of contents
Benefits of Recessed Fixtures
How to Choose Recessed Lights. Uses of Recessed fixtures
Lumen output. How bright is the light?
Color Temperature.
Color Rendering Index (CRI)
Aperture size.
Trim options.
Beam Spread.
Fixed or adjustable beam direction
Lighting Technology. Straight White, Warm Dim or Full color
Standard, Damp location and Wet location rating
Insulated Ceiling (IC) or non-Insulate ceiling housing.
Ability to dim smoothly to 1% light level.
Build quality.
The anatomy of a recessed LED fixture
New construction Vs retrofit.
Pricing
Putting it all together
1. Recessed Lighting Benefits
The primary advantages of recessed lighting are:
Stylish Modern, Clean Look: Recessed lights sit flush with the ceiling, offering a sleek, minimalist look. This style complements modern home designs and avoids the clutter of hanging fixtures. With Recessed lighting you will have better sight lines in the room
Uniform lighting: Properly located recessed lights will achieve more uniform lighting throughout the room.
Energy Efficiency: LED lights use up to 75% less energy than traditional bulbs. This means lower electricity bills for you.
Long Lifespan: LEDs can last over 50,000 hours. This means they often last 10–30 times longer than regular bulbs. So, once installed, you won’t have to worry about replacing them often. DMF recessed lights have a 10-year warranty.
Low Heat Output: Unlike incandescent bulbs, LEDs produce very little heat.
Flexible Lighting Options: LED recessed lights come in many variations.
Dimmable Lighting: Of course they are dimmable.
Environmentally Friendly: LEDs are mercury-free and emit less carbon dioxide. Their long lifespan also means fewer bulbs go to landfills, making them a greener choice for eco-conscious homeowners.
Feature | LED Recessed Lights |
Energy Use | Up to 75% less than traditional bulbs |
Lifespan | 50,000+ hours |
Heat Output | Low |
Lighting Options | Too many to count |
Dimmable | Yes, in most models |
Style | Sleek, flush with ceiling |
Eco-Friendly | Mercury-free, longer lifespan |
2. Uses for recessed fixtures
Recessed fixtures are truly the Swiss army knife of lighting useful in the following situations:
· Task Lighting
· General illumination. (Ambient lighting)
· Accent lighting (Wall washers and art lighting)
3. Lumen Output: How Bright Should Your Lights Be?
Lumen output measures how bright your light fixture is, and it can dramatically affect the mood and functionality of a room. We’ve all been in rooms that either feel too dim or too bright, both of which can leave you feeling uncomfortable.
For residential settings, most recessed lights fall between 750 to 1,800 lumens per fixture, depending on the room and its use. Getting the right balance of brightness is key to ensuring you have the light you need without creating unwanted shadows or harshness.
How to Choose the Right Lumen Output:
Living Rooms & Bedrooms: Aim for 750 to 1,000 lumens per fixture for a cozy, ambient feel.
Kitchens & Bathrooms: Opt for 1,200 to 1,800 lumens to ensure task areas, like countertops and vanities, are well lit.
Hallways & Foyers: 750 to 1,000 lumens is usually enough for ambient lighting in transitional spaces.
The key is understanding your use case and ensuring you have enough light for peak activities, then using dimmers to adjust as needed. That way, you’ll always have the perfect lighting, whether it’s for reading, relaxing, or entertaining guests.
4. Color Temperature: Setting the Right Mood
We’ve all been in rooms where the lighting feels “off”—too cool, too harsh, or too dim. Color temperature, measured in Kelvin, plays a crucial role in this. It determines whether your lights create a warm, cozy atmosphere or a bright, task-driven environment. Getting this wrong can make a space feel either cold or too yellow.
However, it’s not just about choosing the right Kelvin temperature; it's also about ensuring color consistency across multiple fixtures. This is where the McAdam Ellipse comes in. The McAdam Ellipse is a color consistency standard that ensures slight variations in light color are imperceptible to the human eye. When installing multiple recessed lights, especially in large rooms or open spaces, this becomes critical. Without this level of consistency, your room could end up with fixtures that appear slightly different in tone, leading to a disjointed and uncomfortable lighting experience.
Technical background: A McAdam ellipse is a region on a chromaticity diagram which contains all colors which are indistinguishable, to the average human eye, from the color at the center of the ellipse. A Chromaticity Chart shows all the possible colors that can be made from the primary colors red, blue and green. The binning process for LED lights is a quality control and sorting procedure used by manufacturers to ensure consistent performance and appearance across LED products. Since LEDs are manufactured in batches, slight variations can occur. Binning helps categorize these variations so that consumers get reliable and predictable performance. Binning <= to 3 results in no discernable difference. DMF uses 2 step binning. This is possible because DMF has such tight control of their supply chain.
Choosing the Right Color Temperature:
Warm Light (2,700K–3,000K): Perfect for living rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms, creating a welcoming atmosphere. This is the range that Bravo AV recommends.
Cool Light (4,000K–5,000K): Best for home offices and work areas where brighter, task-oriented light is needed. At Bravo AV we feel this can create too harsh a light
When choosing color temperature, think about the purpose of the room. Warmer lights can make a space feel more intimate and relaxing, while cooler lights help keep you alert and focused. Be sure to select lighting fixtures that adhere to the McAdam Ellipse standard for the best color consistency across your space.
5. Color Rendering Index (CRI): Showcasing True Colors
Imagine preparing a meal under lights that make your ingredients look dull and lifeless or applying makeup in lighting that distorts colors. The Color Rendering Index (CRI) measures how accurately your lighting reveals true colors. A CRI of 90+ is ideal for residential spaces where color accuracy matters—especially in kitchens, bathrooms, or any room where you want colors to pop.
In addition to a high CRI, achieving color consistency and accuracy over time is essential. Lighting systems that adhere to the McAdam Ellipse standard ensure color consistency not only from fixture to fixture but also as the lights age. This means that even years after installation, your recessed lighting will continue to display vibrant, true-to-life colors without drifting outside of the human eye’s perceptible range of color.
High CRI lighting is a must for any homeowner who wants vibrant, true-to-life colors in their space. Coupled with McAdam Ellipse compliance, you can trust that your lighting will remain uniform and high-quality for the long term.
6. Aperture Size: Choosing the Right Fixture Size
Aperture size refers to the diameter of the opening in the recessed lighting fixture. Most recessed lights range from 1 to 6 inches in aperture size.
Smaller apertures (1-3 inches): Provide a more modern, sleek look and are often used for accent or task lighting.
Larger apertures (4-6 inches): Offer broader illumination and are better suited for general lighting in larger spaces. 4” is our go to size. 5 and 6” are rarely used in today’s design. At Bravo AV we find the 4 inch works best in most situations
7. Trim Options: Round vs. Square. Plus, Flangeless
Trim is what you see on the ceiling, and it’s one of the most visible parts of your recessed lighting fixture. Homeowners often feel torn between trim styles because they know the wrong choice can detract from the room’s aesthetic. Here’s how to make the right choice:
Round trims: Classic and versatile, round trims blend easily into most designs.
Square trims: Offer a more modern, geometric look but require precise installation to maintain clean lines.
Flangeless trims: Provide an ultra-smooth, minimalist look where the trim disappears into the ceiling. These require expert installation to achieve the right finish.
Your trim choice will play a big role in how your lighting integrates with the rest of your décor, so it’s essential to get this detail right.
8. Beam Spread: Spotlight or Floodlight?
Choosing the right beam spread can make or break how your lighting functions. Homeowners often express frustration when lights create harsh shadows or fail to illuminate a space evenly. Beam spread, measured in degrees, determines how wide or narrow the light will shine.
Types of Beam Spreads:
Narrow (10°-25°): Ideal for accent lighting or highlighting specific objects like artwork.
Wider (30°-60°): Best for general lighting, providing broader coverage.
General Ambient (90°): Provides the broadest coverage possible.
Wall Washers: Special fixtures designed to light up walls evenly, perfect for highlighting artwork or creating soft ambient lighting.
Consider your ceiling height when choosing beam spread. Higher ceilings benefit from narrower beams, while lower ceilings work better with wider beams.
9. Beam Spread: Spotlight or Floodlight?
Fixed or adjustable beam direction can also have a significant impact on how functional and flexible your lighting is. Fixed lighting emits light in one direction and works well for general lighting, while adjustable lighting (gimbal lights) allows you to direct the light where you need it most.
Adjustable lighting is ideal for accent lighting on sloped ceilings or where you want to highlight specific features in a room.
10. Beam Spread: Spotlight or Floodlight?
With advancements in LED technology, homeowners have more lighting options than ever before. Whether you want simple, fixed white light or dynamic color-changing options, there’s something for everyone.
Lighting Technology Options:
Straight White: Provides consistent white light, at a fixed color temperature.
Warm Dim: Gradually shifts from bright white to a warm glow as the light dims, creating a relaxed mood in the evening.
Full Color: Smart lighting systems that offer a wide range of colors, controllable through apps or smart home assistants.
Your lighting technology choice can affect both the functionality and atmosphere of your space, so choose based on how you use each room.
11. Standard, Damp location and Wet location rating
Most indoor fixtures will not be damp or wet location. But there are areas where one of these ratings is critical. Damp and wet location ratings for recessed fixtures indicate how well a fixture is protected against moisture, essential for ensuring safety and longevity in specific environments.
Damp Location Rating
A damp location-rated fixture is designed to withstand high humidity and occasional exposure to water droplets, like condensation. However, it shouldn’t come into direct contact with jets of water or heavy exposure.
Example Uses:
Bathrooms: Over the shower or near sinks, where there may be high humidity or minor splashes.
Covered Outdoor Areas: Patios or porches, Where the fixture is shielded from direct rainfall.
Wet Location Rating
A wet location-rated fixture is more robust, able to withstand direct exposure to rain, snow, or even intense water sprays. It’s ideal for areas that are fully exposed to the elements.
Example Uses:
Showers: Inside the shower area, especially if the fixture may come into contact with direct water sprays.
Exposed Outdoor Areas: Open patios, walkways, or pool areas, where fixtures will encounter rainfall or snow directly.
Choosing the right rating for your fixture is crucial for the longevity of the fixture and your safety. The DMF fixed recessed light is Wet location rated. The adjustable recessed light is Damp location rated.
12. Insulated Ceiling (IC) vs. Non-Insulated Ceiling Housings
If you have insulation in your ceiling, you’ll need to select IC-rated recessed lighting. This ensures that your fixture doesn’t overheat when in contact with insulation, which could otherwise create a fire hazard.
Choosing the wrong fixture for your insulation type is one of the most common mistakes homeowners make, leading to safety concerns down the road.
13. Smooth Dimming to 1%: Essential for Ambiance Control
Dimming functionality is often overlooked but is critical to creating the right ambiance. Not all dimming systems are created equal—some lights flicker or fail to dim smoothly to low levels. To avoid these frustrations, ensure your lights are capable of dimming down to 1% smoothly. Early LED fixtures had trouble dimming and would often flicker, this is not an issue with modern high quality LED fixtures.
Most rooms should have dimmable lights to allow you full control over the atmosphere.
14. Build Quality: Invest in Durability
Don’t cut corners on build quality. Cheap recessed lighting fixtures may flicker, degrade quickly, or rust. Investing in high-quality materials like aluminum ensures that your fixtures will last longer and perform better over time.
15. The anatomy of a recessed LED fixture
The parts of an LED fixture are:
An LED recessed fixture consists of several key components:
Housing: The main body, installed in the ceiling, which holds all other components.
LED Light Engine: The core lighting source, including the LEDs and heat sink. This part of the fixture is also referred to as the LED module, LED Array or Integrated LED.
Trim: The visible outer part, available in different finishes and shapes, which affects aesthetics and light distribution.
Driver: Converts standard voltage to the low voltage required by LEDs.
Lens/Diffuser: Sometime referred to as the Optic. Look for a light that has changeable optics. The optics directly affect beam spread.
17. Newbuilds or Retrofit
For new builds, recessed lights offer a fresh, clean slate—perfectly integrated into your ceiling for that ultra-smooth, sophisticated look.
For re-models retrofit kits make it easy to replace those old, tired incandescent bulbs with modern LED recessed lights. Imagine the instant transformation—brighter, crisper lighting that breathes new life into your space. With a retrofit kit, there’s no need for major renovations; you can simply swap out your existing fixtures and enjoy the benefits of LED, like improved energy efficiency, better light quality, and more control over your lighting environment.
18. How Much Does Recessed Lighting Cost
Fixture pricing varies greatly depending on manufacturer and fixture type.
General rules of thumb:
Adjustable are more expensive than fixed.
With increasing investment base on the LED module, you have fixed or straight white, warm dim and full color.
You can expect to pay more than the builder grade fixtures available at Home Depot. A good LED recessed fixture will cost you between $200 and $600.
15. Putting It All Together: The Right Lighting for Your Home
Bravo AV can help you design the perfect lighting solution for your home. We take into account:
Fixture types and attributes.
Fixture layout
Room size and furniture placement
Number of lighting circuits
Natural lighting
By considering the purpose of each room and using the right combination of fixture type, lumen output, color temperature, and trim options, Bravo AV ensures that your space feels welcoming and functional at every hour of the day.
Conclusion: Light Up Your Home with Confidence
Recessed lighting offers flexibility and the perfect blend of style and function for any home. Whether you're focusing on lumen output, beam spread, or trim style, there’s a solution for every space. With the right lighting, your home will not only look better but feel better—creating a space you’ll love spending time in.
Learn More About:
Ready to explore the best recessed lighting options for your home? Book a consultation with Bravo AV today or visit our showroom to see how recessed lighting can transform your space.
Contact
Bravo AV 80 Morristown Rd.
Bernardsville, NJ 07924
Tel. (908) 953-0555
Tom Curnin, the owner of Bravo AV, is a CEDIA Professional Designer, a certified THX Level 1 home theater professional, and a member of the Home Acoustic Alliance trained to Level II. You can contact Tom directly at (908) 953-0555 or through email at Tom@BravoAV.com.
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